Ensure your Garden is Winter Ready
Tips to ensure your garden is prepared for winter
Plant your spring bulbs, including tulips, crocuses and daffodils. This should be done 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes.
Get rid of any diseased foliage from infected plants. If left in the garden or composted, they can cause a new outbreak next year.
If healthy, perennials can be left standing and pruned back in early spring. Many plants produce seed-heads that attract overwintering birds.
Divide perennials that have become too large or numerous. These can be shared with friends or planted in other areas of the garden.
Mulch garden beds to protect your plants from rapid temperature fluctuations and minimize frost heaving.
Water evergreen trees and shrubs (pines, firs, spruces, cedars and rhododendrons) well into the fall so that they are hydrated before freeze-up.
Leave old brush piles or plant stalks as winter shelter for pollinators and other forms of wildlife.
Put fall leaves in your gardens where they can help to enrich the soil and provide habitat. (Do not add walnut leaves to the garden or compost, as they contain juglone that can kill or diminish the growth of other plants.)
Stake newly planted trees to prevent damage from high winds or heavy, wet snow.
Fill bird feeders when the weather gets colder and sanitize them every two weeks to minimize the spread of disease.
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Winter Storage Tips
Submitted by Sherry Dailey
Taking care of your gardening tools saves you time and money. Here are some simple tips for storing your tools over winter.
Make sure your gardening tools are clean and dry before storing them for the winter. Invest in a good stiff brush or a trowel to scrap off clumps of dirt.
Sharpen your tools before putting them away. Use a file to eliminate spurs or nicks and to hone the edges.
Once the gardening tools are sharp and clean, lightly oil them to keep them rust free during storage. Small tools can be stored in dry sand to prevent them from rusting.
Check wooden handles for cracks or damage and ensure they are firmly attached. To keep them in good condition, seal them with linseed oil.
Have a specific location in your garage or shed for your tools and replace any damaged equipment.
When storing lawn mowers, remove the gasoline and add a stabilizer. Make sure the underside is clean and free from grass and debris, and sharpen the blades.
Drain the water out of your garden hoses and store them in a dry place. Check to make sure the washers and end connectors are in good working order. To prevent kinking, coil the hoses and hang them up.